Update for the week Thursday, October 9, through Thursday, October 16, 2014
THIS WEEK
BIBLE STUDY - Join us this evening (Thursday, October 9) at 7:00 pm in the church library, as we continue discussing Leviticus, using the podcasts found at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/leviticus-part-3-2/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/leviticus-part-4-2/. The Bible Study at St. Mary, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, meets every other Thursday, and is based on a course originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mailto:mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (mailto:frawhj@gmail.com). New members are always welcome.
PATRISTICS CONFERENCE – The Stephen and Catherine Pappas Patristic Institute of Holy Cross will hold its conference, “Patristic Homilies and their Reception History,” on the campus of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Thursday-Saturday, October 9-11, 2014. Download more info at http://goo.gl/9FuBOU
HCHC OPEN HOUSE – Hellenic College Holy Cross will open its doors to students and neighbors interested in learning more, through a free Open House this Saturday, October 11, with lectures, tours, and cultural demonstrations that highlight its academic offerings. All are welcome! For a complete schedule and registration go to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/experience-hellenic-college-holy-cross-open-house-tickets-12843221421.
NO VESPERS – There will not be a Vespers service at St. Mary this Saturday, October 11.
ENQUIRERS CLASS - The St. Ignatius Catechetical Group (Enquirers’ Class) meets every Sunday at 9:00am in the library (next door to Fr. Antony’s office). The group is for non-Orthodox adults who are interested in exploring the Christian Faith as it has been – and continues to be – understood, preached, and lived by members of the Holy Orthodox Church who descend from the early Christian community of Antioch, where “the disciples were for the first time called Christians” (Acts 11:26). Bob Kowalik will be teaching the group using materials developed and piloted by St. Mary catechist emeritus David Vermette. If you would like to participate, please talk to Bob during coffee hour; or get in touch by phone 617-889-3436 or e-mail r.kowalik@comcast.net. For those seeking to be received into the Orthodox Church, participation in the group and Fr. Antony’s blessing are required.
FR. ANATONY AWAY - Fr. Antony is out of town through Sunday, October 12. In case of emergency please call Fr. Timothy Ferguson at 617-323-0323.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
E-GIVE FOR SEMINARIANS - If you missed the collection for Antiochain Seminarians last Sunday, October 5, a special category on eGive has now been set up for this purpose.
PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS - If you are interested in serving on the Parish Council please speak to Deno Takles or Fr. Antony by November 8th. To be eligible to serve you must be a member of St. Mary’s for two years and in good financial standing.
BAZAAR AND FOOD FAIR - St. George Church, West Roxbury is holding its 38th Annual Bazaar & Food Fair Thursday - Saturday, October 17-19 from 10am-9pm (Sun. 12noon-3pm). Admission is free. Middle Eastern Cuisine, Country Store, craft items, raffles, white elephant table and much more.
SEMINAR - St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Salem, MA is holding a seminar on “Death & Becoming Human” Friday & Saturday, October 17 & 18. Participation is free. For more information go to www.orthodoxsalem.com.
FLOROVSKY LECTURE – The Orthodox Theological Society will present a lecture on “Tradition as Reason and Practice” on Friday, October 24, in the Maliotis Center at Holy Cross School of Theology. Lecturer will be Dr. Aristotle Papanikalaou. This event is free and open to the public.
DIOCESE MEETINGS RESCHEDULED – The Fall Diocesan Delegates Meetings of Teen SOYO, Fellowship of St. John the Divine, and Antiochian Women, originally scheduled for October 4, will be held on Saturday, October 25, at Emmanuel Church, Warren, MA. Morning Prayer (Western Rite) will be at 9:30 am, meetings at 10:30 am. A hot lunch will be served at noon – please RSVP to Fr. Chris at frchris@emmalueloc.org or 413-436-5582.
DIACONAL MINISTRY CONFERENCE – A conference on "Women and Diaconal Ministry in the Orthodox Church: Past, Present, Future," sponsored by the St. Phoebe Center for the History of the Deaconess, will be held at Union Theological Seminary in NYC on Saturday, December 6, 2014. This conference will focus particularly on women in diaconal ministry – what they have done, are doing, and could possibly do in the future to help build up the Body of Christ – and is open to anyone interested in diaconal work, including men and women, clergy and laity. (Note: one of the speakers will be our own Teva Regule.) For more information and registration, see http://www.orthodoxdeaconess.org
This conference is a particular follow-on to the yearly conference of the Sophia Institute focusing on "Healing, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness in Eastern Orthodox Perspectives," held the previous day – see http://sophiainstitutenyc.org/conference) Participation at both events is encouraged.
REMINDERS
YOUTH MONTH – October is Youth Month throughout the Archdiocese. Our Liturgical Service volunteers will be teens, college students and young adults - they will carry the candles, icon, and bread baskets during the Procession, will read the Epistle, and will hold the cloths and blessed bread during Communion each Sunday.
All teens will sit together during Liturgy throughout the month of October – find us in the center row, towards the back of the church. Please contact Hannah or Greg if you would like to volunteer for liturgical service.
FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE - Canned Food Drive: October, 2014 – December 31, 2014. Since 1984, we have collected over 3,281,200 pounds of food. Please bring in canned goods ONLY and place them in the plastic bins in the room outside the kitchen. They will be distributed to food pantries in our area.
OPERATION LACE-UP – Focus North America needs your help in sorting and distributing several hundred pairs of brand new athletic shoes to homeless and impoverished children in the Boston area. (For more information about the program see http://focusnorthamerica.org/programs/operation-lace-up/ ) Come Thursday, October 16 at 6:30pm for shoe sorting, and/or Saturday, October 18 at 8:00am for shoe distribution. Please RSVP for location details – contact Nikos Petrogeorge at npetrogeorge@focusna.org
HELP NEEDED – The furniture for the chapel at the National Convention is ready to be picked up in Newtonville for storage in our church basement. We will need at least four (4) volunteers to do the work. The target date for this is Saturday, October 18. Please let Father Antony know if you would be willing to help. (frawhj@gmail.com)
CHARITY BAKE SALE – The Women’s Club will hold a Charity Bake Sale Sunday, October 19, immediately following Liturgy, in the church hall. All proceeds will benefit the charitable projects we sponsor, from the YWCA Family Shelter in Cambridge to the Antiochian Women’s project “Operation Lace Up” providing children with shoes nationwide.
WOMEN'S CLUB SFEEHA SALE – The Women's Club is offering for purchase freshly made Sfeeha (ground lamb-meat pizza pies with onion, pine nuts & seasonings). Order deadline is Sunday, October 19. Please use the order form in your Sunday bulletin. Pickup date is Sunday, October 26.
COME SEE THE MESSIAH! - Join friends from St. Mary’s for the Handel and Haydn Society’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah, on Sunday afternoon, November 30, at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are just $25 – even less if we have a big enough group. We will carpool to Symphony Hall after Liturgy and have lunch together before the concert. Those who have done this before have thoroughly enjoyed it - not only do we hear a world-class orchestra and chorus with famous soloists singing glorious words (taken directly from the Bible), but we also have an opportunity to spend time getting to know some fellow parishioners we normally may not encounter. Good seats go fast - please contact Melissa Nassiff at mnassiff@gmail.com by Sunday, October 19.
2015 CONVENTION COMMITTEE – St. Mary will be hosting the 2015 National Convention of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America. The next meeting of the Convention Committee will be on Tuesday, October 21, at 7:30pm at the church.
HELP MAKE SFEEHA – Please come to the church on Saturday morning, October 25, starting at 9:30 am to help make meat pies with the Women's Club. Lots of help will be needed – young and old, women and men are all welcome - and it's always lots of fun. Lunch will be provided.
TEEN SOYO MINI-GOLF TRIP – On Saturday, October 25, teens from across the Diocese will enjoy an afternoon of mini-golfing at the McGolf range in Dedham. After we have conquered all 18 holes, we will celebrate Great Vespers for the feast of St. Demetrios the Myrrh-Streaming together at St. George Church in West Roxbury. Times will be announced at a later date.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next Parish Council meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 29 at 7:45 pm at the church.
WOMEN'S CLUB – The Women’s Club will be going out to the Cheesecake Factory in Chestnut Hill for an October dinner meeting on Monday, October 27, at 7:00. We welcome all women of the parish to join us! Any woman interested in going out, please call Mary Ellen Mabardy (781-729-6303) or the church office (617-547-1234) for more information. The Women’s Club does charitable work both locally and internationally and supports the Church School. We would love for you to join us. Call Mary Ellen or the church office if you have any questions or want to be a part of this wonderful group of Women.
ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS – If you are a new or returning college or university student, please fill out a yellow “College Student Address Form” on the Bengarri (desk in Narthex) so that we can send you St. Mary’s church announcements and information about college activities. Please leave the form on the Bengarii or give directly to Greg or Hannah Hakim (greghakim@gmail.com ).
MEDICINE, PSYCHOLOGY, AND RELIGION CONFERENCE - The Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion presents "Exploring the Mind-Body-Soul Connection: Spirituality in Illness and Healing" at Hellenic College Holy Cross, Thursday-Saturday, November 6–8, 2014. For more information see https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B464h2ZqeC_oeTl0NEdoSHIzRzg/edit
FALL LITURGY RETREAT FOR CHURCH SCHOOL STUDENTS & FAMILIES – Save the date: On Tuesday, November 11 (Veterans Day), from 9:30 - 3:00 pm there will be a retreat at St. Mary entitled The Liturgy of the Body. The retreat will explore the theme of the "Body" from different perspectives—physical, ecclesial, social, etc. In particular, we will look at the body in Worship, the body at Work (e.g. making Prosphora for the church), the body in the Body of Christ (with a particular focus on understanding baptism), and the body of the Community in Motion (e.g. learning dances from the various ethnic traditions here at St. Mary). Open to all children, teachers, parents and friends. Donation: $5/Child; $10/Family, helps to cover the expense of lunch, snacks and materials.
THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS
Greeter: Richard Robbat
Liturgical Service: Young people of St. Mary: Sophia Atik, Dina Fehrenbacher, Marianna Sayeg, Rachel Contos, Todd Garvin; and others
Coffee Hour: Phillip Straghalis
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Thursday, October 9: Bible study 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 11: No Vespers
Sunday, October 12: Enquirers Class (St. Ignatius Catechetical Group) 9:00 am; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; No Church School (Columbus Day weekend)
Scripture Readings for Sunday, October 12:
Epistle: St. Paul's Letter to Titus 3:8-15
Titus, my son, the saying is sure. I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men. But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned. … And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful.
Gospel: Luke 8:5-15
The Lord said this parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold." ... As he said these things, he cried out "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, October 18: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, October 19: Enquirers Class (St. Ignatius Catechetical Group) 9:00 am; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Church School lesson 4; Women's Club Charity Bake Sale
Thursday, October 23: Bible study 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 25: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, October 26: Enquirers Class (St. Ignatius Catechetical Group) 9:00 am; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Church School lesson 5
REFLECTION
Basically, humility is … the attitude of one who is like the soil. Humility comes from the Latin word humus, fertile ground. The fertile ground is there, unnoticed, taken for granted, always there to be trodden upon. It is silent, inconspicuous, dark and yet it is always ready to receive any seed, ready to give it substance and life. The more lowly, the more fruitful, because it becomes really fertile when it accepts all the refuse of the earth. It is so low that nothing can soil it, abase it, humiliate it; it has accepted the last place and cannot go any lower. In that position, nothing can shatter the soul’s serenity, its peace and joy.
- Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, Living Prayer
As then it is His[God's] part to plant and to water, so it is yours to bear fruit: it is God's to grant grace, but yours to receive and guard it. Despise not the grace because it is freely given, but receive and treasure it devoutly.
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures
Whoever bears fruit with works of faith and love, he is a real disciple of Christ.
- Saint John Chrysostom
It is impossible for the mind not to be approached by thoughts, but it is in the power of every earnest man either to admit them or to reject them. As then their rising up does not entirely depend on ourselves, so the rejection or admission of them lies in our own power. But because we said that it is impossible for the mind not to be approached by thoughts, you must not lay everything to the charge of the assault, or to those spirits who strive to instill them into us, else there would not remain any free will in man, nor would efforts for our improvement be in our power; but it is, I say, to a great extent in our power to improve the character of our thoughts and to let either holy and spiritual thoughts or earthly ones grow up in our hearts.
- St. John Cassian, Conferences
Allow the Spirit of God to dwell within you; then in His love He will come and make a habitation with you; He will reside in you and live in you. If your heart is pure you will see Him and He will sow in you the good seed of reflection upon His actions and wonder at His majesty. This will happen if you take the trouble to weed out from your soul the undergrowth of desires, along with the thorns and tares of bad habits.
- Evagrius of Pontus